When the days get long and the weather heats up, that means it’s time to fire up the grill and fill up the backyard with friends and family for a classic cookout. And if you’re looking to take your summer BBQ game to a higher level, look no further than this collection of summer pellet grill recipes that are easy to prepare and guaranteed to draw rave reviews from your guests.
There’s also plenty of inspiration here for those who haven’t taken the pellet grill plunge, but pellet grills deliver the convenience and consistency that make entertaining a breeze. Here are some of our favorite summer grilling options for your summer cookout.
Perfect Appetizers for a Summer BBQ
Summer BBQ gatherings are perfect for extended meals that linger late into the evening. Try starting things off on the right foot with a flavor-packed appetizer that can be set out for folks to enjoy at their leisure as the party gets rolling. A couple of our favorites are:
- Jalapeno Popper Pigs In a Blanket – Spice up your next gathering with Jalapeño Popper Pigs in a Blanket! Creamy, bacon-cheese–filled jalapeños and mini hot links wrapped in flaky dough deliver smoky, spicy bites that disappear in seconds. Perfect for backyard grilling or game-day snacking—get ready for rave reviews!
- Tahini Glazed Chicken Wings – Juicy wings slathered in creamy tahini, kicked up with a little sweet-heat, and finished with the bold crunch of Colonial Chile Crisp—sweet, spicy, crunchy, and totally addictive. Grab your napkins and dive in!
Get the Perfect Char on Your Summer Vegetables With Pellet Grills
While people often view grilling as a carnivorous endeavor, pellet grills are great for cooking vegetables. Our favorite method is to grill veggies with direct heat — directly over the flame — for just a few minutes until they develop a nice char and are tender-crisp. Then, we move them over to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat, keeping them from getting scorched as they cook through.
For a deep dive on grilling veggies, check out our complete guide on How To Cook The Best Vegetables On Any Grill. Or consider a couple of our favorite grilled veggie recipes:
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus – Cattleman’s Grill Tuscan Steak Seasoning might be intended for meat, but it works great on asparagus as well. The perfect balance of garlic, onion, and red bell pepper add rich and aromatic flavors to a classic summer vegetable.
- Grilled Broccoli – Keep it simple with chopped broccoli florets tossed in a vegetable basket and cooked over high heat. Tossing with John Henry’s Cuz’n Buddy’s Marinade and Basting Sauce adds the perfect tangy and savory notes to this dish.
Grilling Tender, Smoky Summer Ribs on Your Pellet Grill
Backyard ribs are a summer staple. Best cooked low and slow at temperatures in the 250°F–275°F range, ribs are the perfect candidate for the precise temperature controls of pellet grills. And the smoke produced by pellet grills can give ribs a deep and savory flavor profile that’s unmatched by indoor cooking methods. With the wide array of rib recipes in our online library, there are plenty of recipe options to keep you trying out new ideas and techniques throughout the summer.
- Kansas City Baby Back Ribs – Sweet and smoky, these ribs perfectly balance salty and saucy flavors. Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard acts as a binder for Plowboys BBQ Yardbird rub to add zing to every bite.
- Texas Spare Ribs – Chef Tom demonstrates how to trim and square ribs off in this recipe video and lays out how to achieve a beautiful reddish bark on the meat. He then utilizes a heavy-duty foil wrap to help tenderize the ribs so that they easily pull away from the bone.
- Beef Spare Ribs – These ribs are so rich and juicy that they are practically steak on a stick. Chef Tom offers up options on how to cook both wet beef ribs and dry beef ribs on your pellet smoker. Either way, they are bound to be a hit with mouthwatering tenderness and fantastic flavor.
Healthier Summer BBQ Options
While pellet grills are great at producing traditional barbecue, some occasions call for lighter fare. Lean proteins provide healthy alternatives to ribs, brisket or pulled pork and sit nicely on warm summer evenings. The clean smoke produced by pellet grills works well with these more subtle dishes by imparting just enough flavor without overwhelming the taste buds.
- Grilled Chicken Breasts – Chicken breasts don’t need to be dry and boring. A perfect weekday staple, Chef Tom’s techniques for cooking chicken breasts on a pellet grill will help you achieve juicy and flavorful results every time.
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap – Tender chicken marinated in a scratch-made garlic, anchovy, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Caesar dressing is grilled and wrapped in a spinach tortilla with charred romaine, provolone, and croutons. Each bite delivers a smoky crunch and creamy tang.
- Teriyaki Salmon Skewers – Cooked over direct heat on a pellet grill like the Yoder Smokers YS640s that excels at the technique, marinated salmon chunks are paired with pineapple and red onion. Serve over veggies or rice for a wood-fired meal-in-one.
Looking for more ways to elevate your summer cooking capabilities with a pellet grill? Be sure to check out our extensive library of recipes and advice like how to clean your pellet grill after each cook and how to deep clean your pellet grill to enhance its longevity. Also, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to make sure you are the first to know when we release new recipes and techniques.
